Heating & Plumbing - Tender Docs - Advice please

Bluesky008

Hi all

We are getting tender docs prepared for our home renovation. All plumbing & heating is going to be replaced (currently OFCH, plan to move to gas, and get rid of gun barrell pipes!).

It would be great to get advice on items not to forget to include in the tender docs so as to have them as complete as possible & avoid extras down the road (or after work done realising we wished we'd done something different.

The house will be c. 2,500 sq ft, dormer detached bungalow. We are planning to have solar panels (or at least plumbed for them if we can't afford them yet).

Thanks in advance

shane 007

I would specify the boiler make & model.
Zones, as many as practicable.
Multi-layer pipework with crimped fittings.
Look for the full spec on system sizing or have it spec'ed & issue the rad sizes & types. Towel rails can be cheap & dear, especially with built-in rad.
Consider an Ariston Heat Pump Cylinder instead of solar.
Specify grant assistance required.
Enquire if they registered for Carbon Credit grants.
System inhibitor type & quantity spec'ed.
Have you suspended floors or solid? If suspended, consider filling, insulating & concrete screed floors. You will half your running costs over ventilated suspended floors.

Bluesky008

Thanks Shane007, that's very useful.

We have suspended floors alright, it's on an elevated site so you can nearly stand under some of floors. They are freezing in winter with a gale blowing up through them so need that sorted!

We are also wondering about water pumps and power showers - with upcoming water charges are people going to move away from these?

I'm presuming rainwater harvesting systems would involve a very long payback period so we weren't going to consider this.

Any views on above would be really appreciated!

shane 007

IMO not worth the investment. For what it would cost for a functioning & relevant harvesting system, you would drill your own well.

With regard to your suspended floors, unless you deal properly with this area, it will become the one that will come back & haunt you. Deal with it at this stage, your comfort levels will greatly increase & enormously reduce your heating costs & installation costs.

esox28

Your water bill will be pennys compared to your gas if you don't have an air tightness strategy. Try posting about the issue in construction and planning some great guys, very knowledgeable in this area.

btw power showers all the way, water is not costly, electricity is.

angeldalton

angeldalton wrote: »

Before renovation please check that the plumbing & heating replacement service you are hiring is professional or not. As last time I met with a very bad experience by hiring a local service. I would suggest you to go with south jersey plumbers team as they are well known and had a good experience in plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning and water heater installation. For more visit southjerseyplumbing.org/

This is a Irish site;)

Dtp1979

angeldalton wrote: »

Before renovation please check that the plumbing & heating replacement service you are hiring is professional or not. As last time I met with a very bad experience by hiring a local service. I would suggest you to go with south jersey plumbers team as they are well known and had a good experience in plumbing, sewer and drain cleaning and water heater installation. For more visit southjerseyplumbing.org/

Gee thanks. Can you come to Ireland and clean a drain pipe for me?

scudo2

Cheap day rates.
The make the money on mileage.

Bluesky008

Thanks everyone for replies .....southjerseyplumping not sure you can help me all the way over there!

scudo2

Bluesky008 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for replies .....southjerseyplumping not sure you can help me all the way over there!

Their at your door, $5121-00 + tax pz.

DGOBS

at least all their hand tools would be 110V!

Imagine we had a similar service here........

From their website:

ON-TIME SERVICE
If There's Any Delay, It's You We Pay. If we're not on time for your scheduled appointment, we'll pay you $5.00 for each minute late, up to $300. It's just our way of showing how much we value your business.

GUARANTEED REPAIRS
If a plumbing repair fails in the first two years, we will come in and fix the problem again at no cost to you. It's just one less thing to have to worry about.

scudo2

DGOBS wrote: »

at least all their hand tools would be 110V!

Imagine we had a similar service here........

From their website:

ON-TIME SERVICE
If There's Any Delay, It's You We Pay. If we're not on time for your scheduled appointment, we'll pay you $5.00 for each minute late, up to $300. It's just our way of showing how much we value your business.

GUARANTEED REPAIRS
If a plumbing repair fails in the first two years, we will come in and fix the problem again at no cost to you. It's just one less thing to have to worry about.

ON TIME SERVICE:
When we say " Maybe next week" that's us covered !